Today, a packaging for containing, transporting and storing until consumption e.g. food stuffs such as ice cream often comprises a container having a open end closed by a lid. The container may be re-closable by arranging the lid on the container after some of the content stored has been taken out from the container, or the container may be closed by a single time use lid, typically in the form of a sheet of plastic being welded to a rim encircling the open end of the container.
In many cases the volume of containers are selected so that the content stored either match a certain meal size in which case there is no need to reclose the container or the volume is selected to match a number of meal sizes, in which cases there is often a need to reclose the container for further storage.
When more than one container is desired by e.g. a consumer wishing more than one variety of a product, such containers with their content are either purchased separately, or in the form of multipacks or bundle regrouping individual containers. As an example, softdrinks cans are often sold in cartons containing e.g. six softdrinks cans. A multipack is usually a simple combination of packaging plus specific feature like tape, self adhesive label cardboard sleeve etc. That remains simple and only brings the grouping function. The convenience of such an execution is also limited. In particular, once the packaging/grouping assembly feature is removed, there is nothing to keep the several units from the multipack together.
US 2004/0245327 discloses an example of a separable dual carton for accommodating separate quantities of articles. The dual carton includes a plurality of panels hingeldly connected to one another. A center top panel includes a tear strip which overlies at least one starter orifice. The starter orifice is formed from apertures in opposing panels which are sized and positioned to register with one another when the dual carton is erected. By removing at least a portion of the tear strip, the starter orifice becomes accessible to facilitate the separation of the dual carton into separate individual cartons.
While such cartons solves the problem of keeping items such as cans in a fixed mutual relationship while being transported and stored, they still suffer from the problem that the carton maintains it original size although some or all cans are taken out from the carton, and at the same time the carton represent a disposal problem as the carton itself has no suitable use after being emptied from items.